buying flight tickets in China

• 
  

buying flight tickets in China

Hi, is it really necesary to buy flight tickets for China via internet or is it also easy to get reduced tickets, lets say, if you buy them in the country maybe 3 days before you want to do the flight?
I know elong, but it's not easy to understand. I assume, that I have to pay by credit card. Is it possible, that I write, that I will fetch my ticket in Kunming on the day, I will have the flight, for instance the 1.11.2007?
There would be a cheap flight with China Air (60% off, which means from Kunming to Shenzen for 500 Yuan plus taxes and fuel fee). Is it possible, to get this price also 3 days before flying buying the ticket at an agent or is it only possible to get this price right now via elong? Is Air China reliable? Thanks.

1

I tried to use elong and also to register at the official Air China site. Unfortunately a cellphone numer is required, so it is not possible, because I don't have a chinese cellphone.

2

Internal air ticket sales in China are very capitalistic. Supply and demand. So you might be able to get your tickets at that price or cheaper three days beforehand. Or you might not. When to buy your tickets is an art, not a science, but most agree to not buy more than two weeks beforehand unless it is over a Golden Week to a popular location.

You will want to use an agent or your hotel travel deck/concierge to buy your tickets for a nominal fee, same as for rail tickets. Air China is fairly reliable, not to be confused with China Air, the Taiwan company which has a problematic safety record.

I have bought in advance in the USA on elong.net, and found it reliable for etickets which did not need a physical delivery. The US credit card needed a form faxed or converted to pdf and emailed back specifically authorizing the charge (to prevent fraud). There was a small surcharge which was nothing compared with the discount available.

In China, curiously, the airline web site might be selling tickets at full price while elong and ctrip will be selling at a discount. So do not depend on an airline web site for the best deal; the opposite is likely true.

Always looking for new adventures, new cultures, interesting geography.

3

I think the days of deep discounts in China are over. Too many Chinese tourists and business people traveling on the popular routes. In the past month, at the last minute, I was unable to get any discount on tickets from Beijing to Harbin, Harbin to Dalian, Dalian to Beijing. But, it may be a different story on 1/11/07, low season.

"Freedom lies in being bold." Robert Frost

4

I've been booking all of my tickets on eLong over the past week, and have found it very easy to use. You don't need a chinese mobile number, I just entered my Australian mobile number and they were perfectly happy to call me in Australia to confirm my booking. I also had to return a credit card authorisation form, but that was easy to do. I've arranged to have my tickets delivered to my hotel in Beijing, free of change.

5

tokyojoe, I had the same problem with the Air China web site - I eventually just got the chinese mobile phone format from Wikipedia and just made a number up. After that I had no problem. And the 2 flights I bought direct on the Air China web site were miles cheaper than elong/ctrip/9588 - the flight I got from Beijing-Guilin was one third of the price advertised on any other site! (I think they had a sale on).

I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food (W. C. Fields)

6

I always use ctripclick here
They have english service.
If they require a member ID or cellphone number, tell them you don't have. or your cellphone(not chinese, no problem)
payment: you can require cash payment in airport . You get the ticket and pay them cash in the airport. In most airports ctrip has a service counter. Otherwise they will arrange somebody to deliver the ticket to you.